Unitary carrying case

ABSTRACT

A UNITARY CARRYING CASE IS ERECTED FROM A BLANK STAMPED FROM FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL. THE BLANK HAS CREASE LINES DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SERIALLY ALIGNED PANELS THAT CAN BE EASILY FOLDED INTO TUBULAR SHAPE. OPPOSING SIDES OF THE CASE HAVE   MATING WING WALLS THAT OVERLAP AND BECOME SECURED TO ASSOCIATED UPSTANDING FLAPS. NONE OF THE CARRYING CASE CORNERS OR OTHER SECTIONS INCORPORATE A STICHED SEAM.

United States Patent [72] inventor Emil Kovach 3757 Primavera Ave., LosAngeles, Calif. 90065 {21] Appl. No. 783,993 [22] Filed Dec.l6, 1968[45] Patented June 28, 1971 [54] UNITARY CARRYING CASE 6 Claims, 3Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 150/52, 93/49, 150/32, ISO/33, 229/52 [51] Int. Cl A4Sc11/38 [50] Field of Search 224/5 (22), (inquired); 150/32, 33, 52, 5248;229/33, 52 (A), 52 (AL) [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS244,523 7/1881 Bamberger 229/33 Dorris 150/52(.8) Howell.... l50/52(.8)Gamrod 150/52(.8)UX Ellsworth 229/33X Lightburnm, 150/52 Pastini.....150/52 Lerner l50/52X Primary Examiner loseph R. Leclair Altorney-Pastoriza & Kelly ABSTRACT: A unitary carrying case is erected from ablank stamped from flexible sheet material. The blank has crease linesdefining a plurality of serially aligned panels that can be easilyfolded into tubular shape. Opposing sides of the case have mating wingwalls that overlap and become secured to associated upstanding flaps.None of the carrying case corners or other sections incorporate astitched seam.

PATENTEU JUN28 IHTI //Vl ENTOR: EMIL KOVACH BY with ATTORA/E 5 UNITARYCARRYING CASE The present invention relates to carrying containers andmore specifically to carrying cases for retaining cameras, binocularsand the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional carrying cases for cameras,transistor radios, binoculars and the like ordinarily are fabricatedfrom multiple panels which are assembled and held together at theircorners by stitched seams. The usual technique of handstitching theseseams on the corners is time consuming and expensive from a laborstandpoint. Completed stitched seams are often rough, irregular andpoorly aligned and therefore impart an untidy, unsightly appearance.

The corner portions of carrying cases during normal usage are mostlikely to get bumped and scraped thereby exposing the corner seams topotential breakage. When the stitches become ruptured, the seam becomesloosened and adjacent panel edges separate from one another. The casethen acquires a worn or beaten appearance and its capacity tosatisfactorily retain the object is severely impaired.

Multiple panels ordinarily used in assembling conventional carryingcases must first be manually arranged in a predetermined pattern beforebeing constructed into the unit. When components of mismatched sizes areassembled together, the resulting case appears disfigured.

Panels must often be made thicker to provide sufficient margin materialto securely anchor and retain the stitching so that the stitching willnot tear away from the margin material. This tends to make the caseexcessively heavy.

As shall be explained, the present invention eliminates all stitchedseams and separate multiple panels that present these seriousdisadvantages to conventional carrying cases.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated the present inventioncomprehends a durable, easily constructed, attractive carrying caseconstructed from a blank of flat, flexible material. The blank iscreased or folded to constitute or outline integral and serially alignedfront, bottom, back, top and top extension panels. A first pair of wingwalls and a second pair of wing walls extend from opposing side edges ofthe front panel and back panel respectively. Extending from opposingside edges of the bottom panel is a pair of flaps that are foldableupwardly from the bottom panel. When the flaps are folded upwardlymating first and second wing walls are bent or urged towards one anotherto overlie the outer surfaces of corresponding adjacent flaps. The wingwalls and flaps are preferably secured to one another by adhesive toconstitute a rigid basic framework for the carrying case.

The flaps are formed with positioning holes and adjacent edges of matingwing walls are formed with positioning notches located to register withthe positioning holes. When registration between the positioning notchesand holes is accomplished, connectors are received therein to holdsupport strap opposing ends securely to the flaps. None of the carryingcase corners or other zones employ stitching seams which, as previouslydescribed, present numerous difficulties. The case is lightweight andimparts a highly finished appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The numerous benefits and uniqueaspects of the present invention will be fully understood when thefollowing detailed description is studied in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unitary carrying case constructed inaccordance with the present invention, showing the case in its closedposition for securely confining an object;

FIG. 2 is a planar view of a unitary blank whose various integrallyformed panels may be folded so as to erect the carrying case; and,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank illustrated in FIG. 2, showingthe panels at an intermediate stage as they are being positioned toerect the carrying case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG.1, a carrying case 10 is shown constructed from multiple integrallyunited panels. Carrying case 10 includes a front panel 11 and top panel12 joined to a top extension wall 13 which overlaps a top section offront panel 11 when case 10 is closed as illustrated in FIG. 1. A flap14, which will be more fully describe in conjunction with FIG. 2,underlies a pair of mating wing walls 15 and 16. Wing wall 16 is one ofa pair of wings integrally hinged to opposing side edges of front panel11. Wing wall 15 is one of a pair of wing walls similarly integrallyhinged to opposing side edges of a back panel to be described withrespect to FIG. 2.

A support strap 17 which may be sized to slip over a person's arm orshoulder is attached at its opposing ends to the sides of carrying case10. A pair of vertically aligned grommets or connecting pins 18 secureone end of strap 17 to flap l4 and wing walls 15 and 16 in a manner tobe fully described. The other strap end is similarly secured to theconcealed side of case 10.

Anchored respectively to the top extension wall 13 and front panel 11are mating latching elements 19 and 20. A pair of grommets 21 securelatching element 19 to top extension wall 13 and another pair ofgrommets (not shown) secure latching element 20 to front panel 11.Latching element 19 includes a spring loaded depressible button 22shaped to fit under and interlock with a U-shaped bar portion oflatching element 20.

Referring to FIG. 2, carrying case 10 is shown as a flat blank which isthe shape it assumes upon being stamped by a suitable stamping machinefrom flexible sheet material. A conventional stamping machine ismodified to cut out carrying case blanks of the pattern or outlineillustrated in FIG. 2. The various dot-dash lines represent crease orfold lines that distinguish adjacent panels or walls that may be bent orfolded relative to one another. Material from which the carrying caseblank is cut may be any suitable material such as vinyl or otherplastic, plastic coated paper, imitation leather, genuine leather and soforth.

Integrally hinged with front panel 11 is a bottom panel 23 havingopposing side edges from which a pair of flaps 14 and 24 extend. Joinedwith bottom panel 23 is a back panel 25. A first pair of wing walls 16and 26 extend from opposing side edges of front panel 11. In a similarmanner the second pair of wing walls 15 and 27 extend from opposing sideedges of back panel 25. As shall be explained, wing walls 15 and 16 matewith one another and wing walls 25 and 26 also mate with one another.The combined width of wing walls 15 and 16 is substantially equivalentwith the width of flap 14 so that, as shall be explained, when thevarious panels are bent in a predetermined manner, wing walls 15 and 16will neatly overlie flap 14.

Pairs of mating positioning notches 28 and 29 are formed on the edges ofwing walls 15 and 16 respectively. Also mating positioning notches 30and 31 are formed on the edges of wing walls 26 and 27. Positioningnotches 28 and 29 are located and sized to mate and register withpositioning holes 32 in flap 14. Similarly, positioning notches 30 and31 are arranged to meet and register with positioning holes 33 in flap24.

A pair of mounting slits 34 and 35 are located to assist in mounting themating latching elements 19 and 20 respectively illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the carrying case blank of FIG. 2 partially erected intothe completed carrying case construction. Serially aligned front panel11, bottom panel 23, back panel 25, top panel 12 and top extension wall13 are shown mutually bent or folded into partial tubular shape. It willbe appreciated that when these panels are completely folded so as toclose the carrying case, they will collectively define a tube. Flaps 14and 24 are shown bent upwardly from bottom panel 23.

The inner surfaces of the wing walls are preferably coated with adhesiveas indicated by adhesive areas 36 and 37 of wing walls 26 and 27respectively. Wing wall 15 is shown bent inwardly and adhered to aportion of flap 14. When wing wall 16 is urged to its final positionadjacent wing wall then positioning notches 28 and 29 will constituteopenings arranged in registering alignment with the positioning holes 32in flap 14. After an end of strap 17, shown in FIG. 1, is laid overthese registering positioning notches and holes, then the grommets maybe inserted through the holes to mount strap 17 and reinforce theattachment between flap 14 and the wing walls.

The edges of the lower wing wall sections are convexly contoured toexpose bottom sections of corresponding flaps. This arrangement savesmaterial, makes case 10 lightweight, and improves the overall carryingcase appearance.

OPERATION Keeping the above process and construction in mind it can beunderstood how many of the previously described disadvantages ofassembling and using conventional carrying cases are overcome orsubstantially eliminated by the present invention.

Initially, a suitable flexible material in sheet form is chosen and astamping machine is employed to cut a carrying case blank ofpredetermined outline from the sheet. Crease or fold lines are formed onthe blank to constitute serially aligned front panel 11, bottom panel23, back panel 25, top panel 12, top extension wall 13 as well as thefour wing walls and flaps 14 and 24. contemporaneous with the stampingoperation, the various positioning notches and holes and mounting slits34 and 35 are formed in their respective panels.

Latching elements 19 and 20 are then anchored in mounting slits 34 and35 respectively. Flaps 14 and 24, front panel 11, and back panel arebent upwardly from the plane of the blank to assume perpendicularorientations relative to bottom panel 23. The mating wing walls areurged toward one another until their complementary positioning notchesregister with the positioning holes of a respective underlying flap.Each set of mated wing walls may be secured to an associated flap byadhesive, as previously indicated, or by staples or the like.

When the wing walls and respective flaps are firmly secured together tothus complete the basic framework of the carrying case, the opposingends of carrying strap 17 shown in FIG. 1 may then be secured to theopposing sides of the case framework by grommets or the like.

A person may then enjoy fully constructed carrying case 10 by depositingan object such as a camera or transistor radio inside carrying case 10,slipping strap 17 over his shoulder or arm and carrying the object to adifferent location.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention hasprovided an inexpensive method for constructing a unitary carrying caseand a carrying case that is lightweight, durable and attractive in whichall of the various advantages are fully realized.

lclaim:

l. A unitary carrying case capable of being erected from a blank, thecase comprising:

a. a front panel;

b. a first pair of wing walls extending from opposing side edges of thefront panel;

c. a bottom panel mutually hinged with the front panel;

d. a pair of flaps extending from opposing side edges of the bottompanel, the flaps being foldable upwardly from the bottom panel; I

e. a back panel mutually hinged with the bottom panel;

f. a second pair of wing walls extending from opposing side edges of theof the back panel, each of the second wings being arranged to mate witha first wing;

g. a top panel mutually hinged with the back panel;

h. a support strap; and,

i. connectors for securing the support strap ends to the flaps;

j. positioning notches formed on the adjacent edges of each set ofmating first and second wing walls; and, k. a positioning hole formed ineach flap, the positioning hole of each flap being aligned to registerwith a corresponding set of mated positioning notches in order toreceive a connector sized to secure a strap end to a flap, wherein thefront panel, bottom panel} back panel and top panel are serially alignedand foldable to collectively define a tube, and, when the flaps arefolded upwardly mating first and second wing walls may be folded towardsone another to overlie a corresponding adjacent flap.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein each set of mating wingwalls is positioned outside a corresponding flap and adhesively securedthereto.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the combined width of atleast upper sections of mating first and second wing walls isapproximately equal to the width of a corresponding adjacent flap.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the edges of the lowerwing wall sections are convexly curved to expose bottom sections ofcorresponding flaps.

5. The structure according to claim 1, including a top extension wallhinged with the top panel, the top extension wall being shaped tooverlie an upper portion of the front panel.

6. The structure according to claim 5 including mating latching elementssecured to the front panel and top extension wall.

